Closet



(NoModaLy P. G. EMERY.

GLOSET.

Patented July 16 WW1/Leona,

fleuren States PATENT rrrcnf.'

PLATO G. EMERY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADAMS & VVESTLAKECOMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

CLOSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,633, dated July 16,1895.

Application illed February Z1, 1895.. Serial No. 539,238. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PLATO G. EMERY, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Closets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention is intended more particularly for use in railroad-carsand upon steamships or steamboats, but is applicable to more generaluses, and may be employed with dry closets or those flushed by water.Its object is the automatic lifting of the seat by the raising of thelid, whereby the bowl or hopper may be used as a urinal orslop-receptacle without the liability of soiling the seat, and, further,to allow the seat to be left free to be lowered or closed independentlyof the lid, the latter remaining lifted.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective View of a. closetembodying my invention, the seat and lid being down. Fig. 2 is a similarView, the seat and lid being raised to allow the bowl or hopper to beconveniently and neatly used-as a urinal or slopreceptacle. spective ofa detail of the invention.

Similar figures of reference indicate similar parts in the respectiveviews.

l represents the woodwork or casing forming part of the closet ixtures.

2 is the bowlor hopper, preferably of porce# lain. To a ledge orprojection 3, forming a part of the casing, is hinged the seat 4, whilealso hinged thereto is the lid 5. One leaf of the hinge 6 of the seat isscrewed to the outer face of the ledge 3, its other being let in ilushwith the back edge of the seat, the arrangement being such that when theseat is lowered it rests in the plane of'the ledge 3, as seen in Fig. l.One leaf of the hinge 7 of the lid 5 is let in and secured flush withthe top of the ledge 3, while its other leaf is let in and fastened ushwith the back edge of the lid, the pivotal or hinging points of the lidbeing in the rear of and slightly above those of the seat, as shown. Thelid and seat are each so hinged that when raised either shall standslightly inclined to the rear or out of the perpendicular, the lid beingby preference arranged to rest against and be stopped by a part of thecasing or other lixture,aud the Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in per-` seatto rest against and be stopped by the outer or under side of the lid,and both by their slightly-backward inclination to maintain positionssecure against pulling forward.

At one side or edge of the seat 4 is let in or inserted andrproperlysecured by screws or otherwise a plate S, having a projecting pin`9,while at the corresponding side or edge of the lid is similarlysecured a plate 10, to the center of which is pivoted,upon a pin orprojection 11, a gravity-latch 12. The latch 12 is provided at its loweror outer end with an elongated toe 13 and at its other end with a weight14. 'Ihe weight is furnished with a shoulder 15, which rests above thetop edge of the plate 10.

W hen the seat and lid are down, which is their normal position, thegravity-latch 12 stands as seen in Fig. l-that is to say, with itsstraight inner portion 12a resting against the rounded surface 9a of theprojecting pin 9, its toe 13 below and out of contact with said pin, andthe shoulder 15 above the plate 10.

When it is desired to use the bowl or hopper 2 as a urinal, the operatortakes hold of the front edge of the lid 5 and slightly lifts it, whichcauses the straight inner portion 12a of the latch to slide upon thefront rounded surface of the projecting pin 9 and the inner end of thetoe 13 to engage thelowermos't edge of saidipin, when, the lifting ofthe lid being continued, the seat will be also lifted, the toe engagingduring the lifting dierent surfaces of said pin until both the seat andlid reach the respective positions shown in Fig. 2, at

Vwhich time the operative surfaces of the toe will have been broughtagainst the surface 9" of the pin 9 practically parallel thereto,enabling the toe to slip from Contact with the pin by the action .of theweight 14, the movement of the gravity-latch being checked by thecontact of its shoulder 15 with the top edge of the plate 10. The seathaving been thus automatically disengaged from the lid, the seat may belowered to place, leaving the lid Araised. Should the seat and lid bothbe down, and the former is to be employed for its sole and proper use,the operator may readily detach the latch from the pin 9 and raise thelid, leaving the seat down for use. Having described my invention, Iclaim- IOO 1. In a closet of the character described, a hinged seat anda hinged lid combined with a counter-weighted gravity latch suitablylimited in its swinging movement, and a pin, said latch and pinautomatically connecting the seat and lid When both are down andadaptingthem to be raised together and automatically detached whenraised, substantially as set forth.

2. In a closet of the character described, a hinged seat and a hingedlid combined with a pin projecting from a side of the seat, and acounter-Weighted gravity latch pivoted to a corresponding side of thelid and suitably limited in its swinging movement, said pin and latchautomatically connecting the seat and lid when both are down andadapting them to be raised together and automatically detached whenraised, substantiallyas set forth.

3. In a closet of the character described, the combination4 of a seathinged to a fixture of the casing, ahinged lid, a pin projecting from aside of the seat, and a counter-weighted gravity latch suitably limitedin its move ment and pivoted to a corresponding side of the lid andhaving an elongated toe, the construction ot' the operative surfaces ofthe pin and toe being as described, whereby the seat and lid having beenraised together upon the engagement of the pin and toe, the latter shallbe allowed to slip from the pin by the action of the counter-weightedgravity latch, substantially as set forth.

4. In a closet of the character described, the combination of a bowl, ahinged seat, a hinged lid, a pin projecting from a side of the seat, anda counter-weighted gravity latch havinga -shoulder for limiting itsswinging movement and an elongated toe for automatic engagement with anddetachment from said pin, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand and seal.

PLATO G. EMERY. [n s] Witnesses:

W. P. BRAINARD, B; MOMILLAN.

